亚特兰大-佐治亚州共和党州长布莱恩·坎普和民主党挑战者斯泰西·艾布拉姆斯对佐治亚州进行了猛烈的攻击选举周日，在佐治亚州11月8日选举前的最后一场辩论中，他们阐述了各自在堕胎问题上的立场，并对该州的经济提出了截然不同的看法。
坎普避免明确承诺不签署进一步的堕胎限制，他说“我不想再进一步推动堕胎。”但他承认，共和党立法机构可能会通过更多限制，称“到时候我们会考虑这些限制。”
艾布拉姆斯指出了这种模棱两可的说法，他说，“让我们明确一点，他没有说他不会。”
坎普批评艾布拉姆斯在她将支持哪些限制上前后矛盾。艾布拉姆斯辩称，她没有改变自己的立场，并表示她将支持合法堕胎，直到胎儿在子宫外能够存活。
坎普否认了民主党人的说法，即根据佐治亚州的堕胎限制，在子宫内可以检测到心脏活动后，限制大多数堕胎，妇女可能会因堕胎被起诉或在流产后被调查。州长透露，他的妻子流产了双胞胎中的一个，而另一个幸存下来成为了他的长女，称这是一个“悲惨的，创伤性的情况”
不过，艾布拉姆斯说，这取决于当地执法部门和地方检察官，目前还不清楚地方当局是否会尝试起诉。艾布拉姆斯说，女性“不应该担心警长来敲门询问她们是否非法堕胎。”
虽然坎普和艾布拉姆斯在整个60分钟的辩论中就具体问题进行了争论，但他们保留了最私人的来回讨论投票权，暴露了竞争的起源，这种竞争可以追溯到坎普担任国务卿和艾布拉姆斯担任州众议员的时候，然后他们都在2018年竞选州长。
坎普的说法是，他让佐治亚州变得“投票容易，作弊难”，而艾布拉姆斯则“在过去10年里四处奔走，告诉你事实并非如此。”他补充说，她“从四处奔波中受益匪浅”，并提到了艾布拉姆斯自2018年失败以来的个人财务成功。
艾布拉姆斯回答说，坎普“花了16年时间攻击格鲁吉亚的投票权”，最近的一次是2021年选举法改革，其中一项规定是围绕通过邮件投票制定新的规则。
坎普指出，早期投票总数已经达到160万，远远超过2018年，早期投票将持续到周五。他还强调了今年早些时候两个主要政党创纪录的初选投票率——艾布拉姆斯说，这一点掩盖了她所说的其他州的行动，使人们更难投票。
“人们投票的事实是不顾SB 202，而不是因为它，”她说，指的是共和党选举法。“这从来不是为了确保我们在格鲁吉亚有公平的选举。这是为了博取布赖恩·坎普的选票，这样他就可以阻止人们进入投票站。”
肯普将工资增长和低失业率归功于华盛顿民主党人的“灾难性”政策，而艾布拉姆斯回避了她的政党在联邦政府中的作用，并将矛头指向肯普。
“我们的失业率是本州历史上最低的，”他说。“我们州有史以来最多的人在工作。我们在本州的所有地方都看到了经济机会。”
坎普吹捧他使用州和联邦基金暂停汽油税和发放所得税退税，重申他在第二个任期内寻求更多所得税退税和财产税退税的承诺。
艾布拉姆斯认为，肯普的经济没有推动足够多的格鲁吉亚人。她指出，她的提议包括将州盈余用于提高教师和一些执法人员的工资，扩大医疗补助计划，促进在职父母的儿童保育计划等。
艾布拉姆斯说:“现在人们正感受到经济痛苦，不幸的是，在这位州长的领导下，这种痛苦越来越严重。”
坎普和艾布拉姆斯在犯罪问题上划清了界限，这位共和党州长试图将艾布拉姆斯塑造成“解散警察”运动的支持者，并在全州范围内兜售他的支持。
“他又在撒谎了。我从没说过我相信撤销对警察的资助。我相信公共安全和问责制，”艾布拉姆斯反驳道，强调了她与坎普一起在执法方面投入更多资金的提议。
虽然肯普强调了他的政府在遏制佐治亚州的帮派活动和暴力方面的努力，但艾布拉姆斯批评政府没有“整体”考虑犯罪的根源，指责肯普放松枪支法律导致暴力上升。
“我最担心的是你把死亡降到最低，”艾布拉姆斯说。“在佐治亚州，人们死于枪支暴力;孩子们正在死去。它是我们孩子的头号杀手。”
坎普为自己的政策辩护，称他为州和地方执法部门提供了帮助，但暴力事件的增加最终不是他的错。
“我们不是当地警察局。我不是市长。我是州长，”坎普反驳道，并补充说当地执法机构“知道我会支持他们。”
周日的比赛是两个对手之间的第三场辩论。他们在2018年只见过一次面，当时的国务卿坎普跳过了第二场辩论，与时任总统唐纳德·特朗普一起参加了一场集会。
坎普在大多数民意调查中领先，但艾布拉姆斯认为，她对争取不经常投票的民主党选民的关注可能会被调查忽略。
与10月17日的第一场州长辩论不同，周日晚上的活动没有以自由主义者沙恩·黑兹尔为特色，他是选票上的第三位候选人。黑兹尔几次打断那场辩论，试图表明自己的观点，因为他没被问那么多问题。黑兹尔出现在选票上意味着有可能在12月6日进行决选，因为佐治亚州法律要求候选人赢得绝对多数。
Kemp, Abrams argue abortion, voting in Ga. governor debate
ATLANTA --Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams traded harsh attacks on Georgia'selections during the pair's final debate Sunday before Georgia's Nov. 8 election, while elaborating on their positions on abortion and offering sharply differing visions for the state's economy.
Kemp avoided a categorical promise not to sign further abortion restrictions, saying “it’s not my desire to go move the needle any further." But he acknowledged that more restrictions might be passed by a Republican legislature, saying that “we’ll look at those when the time comes.”
Abrams pointed out that equivocation, saying, “Let’s be clear, he did not say he wouldn’t.”
Kemp criticized Abrams as inconsistent on what restrictions she would support. Abrams argued she had not changed her position and said she would support legal abortion until a fetus is viable outside the womb.
Kemp denied claims by Democrats that under Georgia's abortion restrictions, which restrict most abortions after cardiac activity can be detected in the womb, women could be prosecuted for abortions or investigated after miscarriages. The governor revealed that his wife had miscarried one of what had been twins, while the other survived to become his eldest daughter, calling it a “tragic, traumatic situation.”
Abrams, though, said it was up to local law enforcement and district attorneys and that it wasn't clear local authorities won't attempt prosecutions. Abrams said women “should not be worried about the knock on the door is the sheriff coming to ask them if they have had an illegal abortion.”
Though Kemp and Abrams disputed issues with specificity throughout the 60-minute debate, they reserved their most personal back-and-forth for a discussion of voting rights, exposing the origins of a rivalry that goes back to when Kemp was secretary of state and Abrams was a state House member, before each ran for governor in 2018.
Kemp’s version is that he’s made it “easy to vote and hard to cheat” in Georgia, while Abrams has spent “the last 10 years running around telling you that’s not the case.” He added the barb that she’s “benefited personally from that running around,” noting Abrams’ personal financial success since her 2018 defeat.
Abrams answered that Kemp “has spent 16 years attacking the right to vote in Georgia,” most recently with the 2021 elections law overhaul that, among its provisions, enacted new rules around voting by mail.
Kemp noted that early vote totals have already reached 1.6 million, far outpacing 2018, with early voting running through Friday. He also highlighted record primary turnout for both major parties earlier this year — points that Abrams said obscure other state actions that she said have made it harder for people to cast their ballots.
“The fact that people are voting is in spite of SB 202, not because of it,” she said, referring to the GOP election law. “It was never about making sure that we had fair elections in Georgia. It was about gaming the election for Brian Kemp so he could keep people out of the polling place.”
Kemp took credit for wage growth and low unemployment while blaming sustained inflation on “disastrous” policies of Democrats in Washington, while Abrams sidestepped her party’s role in the federal government and pointed the finger at Kemp.
“We have the lowest unemployment rate in the history of our state," he said. "We have the most people ever working in the history of our state. We’re seeing economic opportunity in all parts of our state.”
Kemp touted his use of state and federal funds to suspend gasoline taxes and issue income tax rebates, repeating his pledge to seek more income tax rebates plus property tax rebates in a second term.
Abrams argued that Kemp's economy hasn't boosted enough Georgians. She pointed to her proposals to spend the state surplus on raises for teachers and some law enforcement officers, expand Medicaid, boost child care programs for working parents, among other proposals.
“Right now people are feeling economic pain, and unfortunately under this governor, that pain is getting worse,” Abrams said.
Kemp and Abrams drew sharp distinctions on crime, with the Republican governor attempting to cast Abrams as a supporter of the “defund the police” movement and touting his endorsements from dozens of sheriffs across the state.
“He is lying again. I’ve never said that I believe in defunding the police. I believe in public safety and accountability,” Abrams shot back, highlighting her proposals for spending more on law enforcement with Kemp.
While Kemp highlighted his administration’s push to curtail gang activity and violence in Georgia, Abrams criticized the administration for not thinking “holistically” about the root causes of crime, blaming Kemp's loosening of gun laws for a rise in violence.
“What is most concerning to me is that you are minimizing the death,” Abrams said. “People are dying from gun violence in the state of Georgia; children are dying. It is the No. 1 killer of our children.”
Kemp defended his policies, saying he had provided aid to state and local law enforcement, but that rising violence was ultimately not his fault.
“We are not the local police department. I’m not the mayor. I’m the governor,” Kemp shot back, adding that local law enforcement agencies “know I will have their back.”
Sunday's match was the third debate overall between the two rivals. They met only once in 2018, with Kemp, then secretary of state, skipping a second debate to attend a rally with then-President Donald Trump.
Kemp leads in most polls, but Abrams argues that her focus on getting out infrequent Democratic voters may be missed by surveys.
Unlike the first governor's debate on Oct. 17, Sunday night's event did not feature Libertarian Shane Hazel, the third candidate on the ballot. Hazel interrupted that debate several times trying to make his points because he wasn’t asked as many questions. Hazel's presence on the ballot means it's possible that there will be a runoff on Dec. 6, because Georgia law requires candidates to win an absolute majority.
